Friday, March 14, 2014

Rocket Stoves Rate High for Emergencies


Whether simple and light or less portable but more sturdy, rocket stoves channel heat so efficiently that a small handful of wood can boil water or cook a meal. A simple “hobo stove” uses a can to contain a small fire. A rocket stove uses two cans (or pipe sections) at an angle inside another larger can to create a fire chamber insulated by material packed between the larger can and the smaller cans. This restricts heat dissipation so that all the fire’s energy is directed to the pot you place on top of the stove.

The rocket stove also contains your fire for safety and for preserving the natural look of the area where you are cooking. It also keeps flames much less visible than a standard campfire. They can be especially useful in places like the high desert where wood is scarce that I included use of rocket stoves in my survival novel “Obliterated 2: Violent Nature” ( http://tinyurl.com/noljq4n )

Rocket stoves are a terrific addition to emergency preparations and, although high quality stoves can now be purchased, you can make one yourself fairly easily. Instructions for a simple and lightweight rocket stove can be found on a very useful website titled prepared-housewives.com. Here is a link to that site’s easy to follow photos and instructions: 


Sunday, February 23, 2014

Survival suspense SEQUEL available now

Just a quick note that "Obliterated 2: Violent Nature" is now available as an ebook on Amazon.com. The print version should be published in another week or so.

This is a sequel to my well-received first novel "Obliterated - Would You Know How to Survive?"

Both novels have real-life survival tips woven into the stories. I hope you'll check them out.
C.J.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Don’t Wash Your Hands?


The chemical spill contaminating Charleston's water supply should be a cautionary tale for everyone about the need to have drinkable water stored for emergencies. Even if you have a lake at your back door, you should not rely solely on purifying water in a disaster. It could become contaminated with something that your filters or even distillation can’t clear.

But this post is not about emergency water supplies. In Charlston, people could use city water for flushing toilets. However, they were told not to use it to wash. Think about that. Did people use their limited drinking water to wash their hands after visiting the restroom? And if they did, did they have a system so that dirty hands did not contaminate the water bottle that was used?

More generally, health experts expect a rise in flue cases in the Charleston area, because people were not able to wash their hands as often.

Having a good supply of alcohol-based hand sanitizer in your emergency preparations would give your family a giant advantage in such a situation. Read more about why you need at least 60% alcohol sanitizer in this CNN article.

If your water supply was cut off or none was available in case of evacuation, would you have a “handy” way to keep your family healthy?